Machine for automatically forming a bag and filling same with a dosage or granular material

ABSTRACT

A machine for automatically forming a bag and filling same with a dosage of granular material comprises a rotatable conveying head having a plurality of arms extending radially outwardly therefrom and each arm contains at its distal end a gripper mechanism. A transmission system rotationally drives the conveying head in an intermittent, setpwise manner to sequentially advance the gripper mechanisms to a series of work stations. The work stations sequentially and repeatedly effect formation of a paper bag from a paper strip, filling of the bag with a dosage of granular material, mechanicaly closing of the filled bag, attachment of a string and label to the closed bag, and covering of the labelled bag with a protective covering.

United States Patent Romagnoli 1 Apr. 23, 1974 [5 MACHINE FORAUTOMATICALLY 2,307,076 1/1943 Ray 53/194 x FORMING A BAG AND FILLNGSAME 2,754,644 7/1956 Vergobbi et al... 53/29 3,306,002 2/1967 Vogt53/29 WITH A DOSAGE OR GRANULAR MATERIAL Andrea Romagnoli, c/oI.M.A.S.P.A Via Emilia Levanti 390, Bologna, Italy Filed: Apr. 14, 1972Appl. No.: 244,211

Related US. Application Data Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 6,534,Jan. 28, I970, abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No.578,596, Sept. 12, 1966, abandoned.

Inventor:

us. 01. 53/134, 53/29, 53/173, 53/183 Int. Cl B65b 1/02, B65b 43/60Field of Search 53/29, 134, 194, 173, 183

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 1944 Williams 53 134 x 10/1938Rambold 53/134 x Primary ExaminerTravis S. McGehee Assistant Examiner.l.Sipos Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert E. Burns; Emmanuel J. Lobato [57]ABSTRACT A machine for automatically forming a bag and filling same witha dosage of granular material comprises a rotatable conveying headhaving a plurality of arms extending radially outwardly therefrom andeach arm contains at its distal end a gripper mechanism. A transmissionsystem rotationally drives the conveying head in an intermittent,setpwise manner to sequentially advance the gripper mechanisms to aseries of work stations. The work stations sequentially and repeatedlyeffect formation of a paper bag from a paper strip, filling of the bagwith a dosage of granular material, mechanicaly closing of the filledbag, attachment of a string and label to the closed bag, and covering ofthe labelled bag with a protective covering.

8 Claims, 45 Drawing Figures Mim APR 2 a 1914 SHEET an [1F 22 PATENTEMR23 m4 SHEET 07 0F 22 PATENTEMMSW 33055483 sum 08 0F 22 PATENTEBAPWIBM3.805483 SHEET 10 [1F 22 PATENTEH M1253; m4

SHEET 11 [1F 23 PATENTEDAPR 23 1914 2 2 F U 3 1 T CL [L UD 8 PATENTEDAPR2 m4 3,805,483

sum 15 0F 22 PATENTEBAPR23 1974 v 3.805483 SHEET 18 [1F 22 PATENTEDAPR23 1974 3805483 sum 19 [1F 22 ELLE-5i FIGAO

1. An apparatus for forming and filling paper bags comprising: arotatably mounted conveying head having a plurality of arms extendingradially outwardly therefrom in circumferentially spaced-apartrelationship; a plurality of work-gripping means mounted on respectiveones of said arms for releasably gripping a paper object to be workedupon; means for intermittently rotating said conveying head tosequentially and intermittently advance said work-gripping means along apredetermined path of travel; bag-forming means positioned along saidpath of travel cooperative with said work-gripping means to form a paperbag from a strip of paper; bag-filling means operative when saidwork-gripping means is moved to a predetermined position along said pathof travel to fill a paper bag gripped by said workgripping means with agranular product; means operative when said work-gripping means is movedto another predetermined position along said path of travel for applyinga string and label composite to a filled bag gripped by saidwork-gripping means; and means for removing a filled bag from said workgripping means and applying a protective covering thereon and thenreturning the covered bag to the work gripping means.
 2. An apparatusaccording to claim 1; wherein said bag-forming means comprisesstrip-cutting means for cutting a predetermined length of paper stripfrom a paper strip supply; a movably mounted sword movable to a firstposition to receive draped thereover said length of paper strip andmovable to a second position; and means cooperative with said swordduring movement thereof to said second position to effect folding ofsaid length of paper strip into a paper bag.
 3. An apparatus accordingto claim 2; wherein said last-mentioned means comprises a shaping funnelpositioned to receive therein said sword during movement thereof to saidsecond position; said shaping funnel having mounted therein first andsecond pairs of wedge-shaped elements cooperative, respectively, withfirst and second pairs of helically-shaped elements to effect folding ofsaid length of paper strip during insertion of said sword into saidshaping funnel.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 2; wherein saidstrip-cutting means comprises a pair of rotAtably mounted feed rollerspositioned to receive therebetween a paper strip from said paper stripsupply; means for rotationally driving said feed rollers to effectfeeding of said paper strip to a cutting zone; rotatably mounted cuttingassembly positioned in said cutting zone operative to cut saidpredetermined lengths of paper strip from the paper strip fed by saidfeed rollers; and means mounting said feed rollers and cutting assemblyfor movement together as an integral unit in synchronization with themovement of said sword to effect draping of the cut length of paperstrip over said sword when said sword is in said first position.
 5. Anapparatus according to claim 1; wherein said bag-filling means comprisesmeans defining a storage chamber containing therein a supply of granularproduct; a rotationally driven product dispensing mechanism disposedwithin said storage chamber operative during rotation to supply apredetermined dosage of granular product into a paper bag gripped bysaid work-gripping means; and means for variably setting the dosagesupplied by said product-dispensing mechanism.
 6. An apparatus accordingto claim 1; wherein said string and label applying means comprises meansfor cutting a label from a supply reel of labels; a supply of string;means or attaching an end of said string to said label; means forcutting a predetermined length of the attached string from said supplyof string; and means for attaching the string and label composite to afilled paper bag when same is positioned in said further predeterminedposition.
 7. An apparatus according to claim 6; including meansoperative after said predetermined length of string is cut to effectfolding of said label; and means or positioning the folded label over aportion of the filled paper bag with said predetermined length of stringpositioned between the folds of said folded label.
 8. An apparatusaccording to claim 1; wherein said covering means includes a pair ofrotatably mounted knurled wheels operative during rotation tomechanically close edge portions of said protective covering; and meansfor rotationally driving said knurled wheels.